Brookhaven to remove illegally dumped debris from 4 Manorville sites

Brookhaven Town officials said they would remove about 35,000 cubic yards of contaminated solid waste and fill that had been illegally dumped on four Manorville properties.

The decision comes after a state judge faulted the owners of the properties for failing to clean up the land.

Town officials said the ruling by state Supreme Court Justice George Nolan in Riverhead was among the most significant victories in Brookhaven's campaign to combat illegal dumping. Town officials said they hoped to start removing debris over the next several months.

“We’re going to be cleaning up a lot of mess there,” Supervisor Edward P. Romaine said in an interview. “We’re having it tested now to see whether some of it can go to the landfill or whether some of it has to go some other way.”

Nolan, in a ruling dated May 28, said defendants John W. Dosiak, Bennett S. Dosiak Jr. and JD Materials Trucking Inc. had ignored earlier court orders to remove the debris from four properties, including three on South Street in Manorville and another at the northeast and northwest corners of Wading River Road and the Long Island Expressway.

The dumpings included imported solid waste, construction and demolition debris, dirt and other materials, Nolan's decision said.

Nolan said Brookhaven could appoint someone to coordinate the cleanup and assess all costs to the Dosiaks and JD Materials Trucking. The town also may collect up to $5,000 in fines per day and add costs to the Dosiaks' property tax bills if they do not pay for the cleanup, Nolan said.

Attempts to reach John Dosiak and Bennett Dosiak Jr. by telephone were unsuccessful. Several phone numbers associated with the family are no longer in service. Calls placed to another phone number were not answered.

The relationship of John and Bennett Dosiak, who represented themselves in court, and their connection to the trucking company were unclear. The Dosiaks and the company share an address on South Street in Manorville.

Town Attorney Annette Eaderesto said Brookhaven officials will meet this week to begin planning the cleanup. Testing will be conducted to determine what contaminants may be included in the debris, she said.

“If the town didn’t take action, eventually it would" affect nearby properties and groundwater, Eaderesto said. "Now it’s in piles and we’ll be able to remove it."

Brookhaven officials vowed to stem illegal dumping after a string of such incidents in recent years. The town is weighing fine increases to deter dumping, as well as purchasing infrared cameras to catch violators.

Romaine said the Dosiak case "sends a message that the town of Brookhaven is very concerned about contaminated material. … We are determined that people abide by the rules and not impact the environment.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.